Home security alarms top the list as Brits’ most popular security buy

Home security alarms revealed as our preferred way to protect our homes while we're on holiday

Burglar
(Image credit: Getty/Westend61)

Home security alarms ready to be switched on? Check. Passports packed? Check. Taxi to airport booked? Check. Sounds like you're all set for holiday. 

With the holiday season still in full swing, home security is never far from our minds as we lock up our properties and head off to sunnier climes. And let's face it, it’s always easier to relax poolside when you’re confident that your home is well secured during your summer getaway.

With the latest research from Duette Blinds showing that one in three Britons have invested in at least one item of home security in the past 12 months, it would seem us Brits are a pretty security-conscious bunch, too.

Home security alarms, CCTV and smart doorbells are the top security items Britons purchase for their homes, with 89 per cent of people admitting they feel safer in their homes with security. 

The average spend on security was £495, which might sound like a large investment, but when you consider the valuables you could stand to lose if your home is burgled, it’s likely to be money well spent.

Top security buys

  • Home security alarm – 65%
  • CCTV – 32%
  • Smart doorbell – 23%
  • Security doors and windows – 18%
  • A smart home system to control lighting, smart blinds, etc – 10%

What’s more, the days of asking neighbours and relatives to pop in every day while we’re on holiday to open and close the curtains or turn the lights on and off as a burglary deterrent seem to be fading fast. Less than one in five Brits do this, with many favouring home security systems over asking friends and family for help. The reason? It seems we’re not a very trusting bunch – 65 per cent of those surveyed admitted they didn’t like the idea of other people being in their homes while they were away.

‘It’s important that you feel safe in your own home,’ says Ashleigh Noon, a spokesperson for Duette Blinds. ‘If anything it should be the one place you can escape all the day-to-day worries and stresses you feel. 

'You don’t have to be a victim of crime to take the step and install some level of home security, it’s better to act before something like this happens in order to protect your home and your belongings. You really can’t put a price on security and protecting your safe haven and your belongings.’

Want to improve your home's security? Choose the best security system for your house with our handy guide.

Beth Murton
Beth first started working on Real Homes as a sub-editor over 15 years ago. Since then she has worked on 4Homes, Grand Designs and as a freelancer, before returning to Real Homes for the third time. She is Acting Editor on the magazine and always has a makeover project of some kind on the go.